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Letter of Don Diego de Molina to Don Alonzo de Velasco (1613)

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In this letter to Don Alonzo de Velasco, translated from the original
Spanish, Don Diego de Molina describes the Virginia colony based on his years of
captivity at Jamestown.
The commander of a Spanish reconnaissance ship, Molina was captured with two of his
men—including an Englishman, Francis Lembry—in June 1611. He remained in jail until
1616, when he sailed to England aboard the same ship as Pocahontas.

Transcription from Original

The person who will give this to
Your Lordship is very trustworthy and Your Lordship can give credence to everything
he will say, so I will not be prolix in this but will tell in it what is most
important. Although with my capture and the extraordinary occurrences following it
His Majesty will have opened his eyes and seen this new Algiers of America, which is
coming into existence here, I do not wonder that in all this time he has not remedied
it because to effect the release would require an expedition, particularly as he
lacks full information for making a decision. However I believe that with the aid of
Your Lordship's intelligence and with the coming of the caravel to Spain, His Majesty
will have been able to determine what is most important and that that is to stop the
progress of a hydra in its infancy, because it is clear that its intention is to grow
and encompass the destruction of all the West, as well by sea as by land and that
great results will follow I do not doubt, because the advantages of this place make
it very suitable for a gathering-place of all the pirates of Europe, where they will
be well received. For this nation has great thoughts of an alliance with them. And
this nation by itself will be very powerful because as soon as an abundance of wheat
shall have been planted and there shall be enough cattle, there will not be a man of
any sort whatever who will not alone or in company with others fit out a ship to come
here and join the rest, because as Your Lordship knows this Kingdom abounds in poor
people who abhor peace—and of necessity because in peace they perish—and the rich are so greedy and selfish that they
even cherish a desire for the Indies and the gold and silver there—notwithstanding
that there will not be much lack of these here, for they have discovered some mines
which are considered good, although they have not yet been able to derive profit from
them. But when once the preliminary steps are taken there are many indications that
they will find a large number in the mountains. So the Indians say and they offer to
show the locations that they know and they say that near the sources of the rivers,
as they come down from the mountain, there is a great quantity of grains of silver
and gold, but, as they do not set any value on these but only on copper which they
esteem highly, they do not gather them.

As yet these men have not been able to go to discover these although they greatly
desire it, nor to pass over this range to New Mexico and from there to the South Sea
where they expect to establish great colonies and fit out fleets with which to become
lords of that sea as well as of this, by colonizing certain islands among those to
the east of the channel of Bahama and even to conquer others, as Puerto Rico, Santo
Domingo and Cuba. And although this would be difficult at the least, we have already
seen signs of these purposes in the colonizing of Bermuda where they are said to have
strong fortifications, because the lay of the land is such that a few can defend
themselves against a great number and prevent disembarking and landing. The depth as
I have understood is not enough for ships of a hundred tons, but I believe that they
make it out less than it is, for that island has already been described in the
relation of Captain Diego Ramirez who was stranded there, and it seems to me that
larger vessels can enter. I do not recall it well but the description is in the house
of Don Rodrigo de Aguiar of the Council of the Indies and the register is in Seville in the house of the licentiate
Antonio Moreno, cosmographer of the Council. But above all this captain will give
enough information of the island, and it is very important for the military actions
which may have to take place in it. Its fertility is great, there is abundance of
fish and game, and pork as much as they can want, and so they get along very well in
that colony because they have little need of England, for they are likewise rich in
amber and pearl of which in a very few months it is said they have sent to that
kingdom more than fifty thousand ducats in value, reckoning the ounce at a moderate
price. Four days ago a vessel arrived here that brought them men and provisions and
they do not cease talking of the excellence of that island and its advantages.

The soil in this place is very fertile for all species, only not for those which
require much heat, because it is cold. There is much game and fish, but as they have
not begun to get profit from the mines, but only from timber, the merchants have not
been able to maintain this colony with as much liberality as was needed and so the
people have suffered much want, living on miserable rations of oats or maize and
dressing poorly. For which reason, if today three hundred men should come, this same
year would destroy more than one hundred and fifty, and there is not a year when half
do not die. Last year there were seven hundred people and not three hundred and fifty
remain, because little food and much labor on public works kills them and, more than
all, the discontent in which they live seeing themselves treated as slaves with
cruelty. Wherefore many have gone over to the Indians, at whose hands some have been
killed, while others have gone out to sea, being sent to fish, and those who remain
have become violent and are desirous that a fleet should come from Spain to take them
out of their misery. Wherefore they cry to God of the injury that they receive and
they appeal to His Majesty in whom they have great confidence, and should a fleet come to give them passage
to that kingdom, not a single person would take up arms. Sooner would they forfeit
their respect and obedience to their rulers who think to maintain this place till
death.

And although it is understood there that the merchants [of the Virginia Company of
London] are deserting this colony, this is false for it is a strategem with which
they think to render His Majesty careless, giving him to understand that this affair
will settle itself, and that thus he will not need to go to the expense of any fleet
whatever to come here. With eight hundred or one thousand soldiers he could reduce
this place with great ease, or even with five hundred, because there is no
expectation of aid from England for resistance and the forts which they have are of
boards and so weak that a kick would break them down, and once arrived at the
ramparts those without would have the advantage over those within because its beams
and loopholes are common to both parts—a fortification without skill and made by
unskilled men. Nor are they efficient soldiers, although the rulers and captains make
a great profession of this because of the time they have served in Flanders on the
side of Holland, where some have companies and castles. The men are poorly drilled
and not prepared for military action.

However they have placed their hope on one of two settlements, one which [Jamestown]
they have founded twenty leagues up the river in a bend on a rugged peninsula with a
narrow entrance by land and they are persuaded that there they can defend themselves
against the whole world. I have not seen it but I know that it is similar to the
others and that one night the Indians entered it and ran all over the place without
meeting any resistance, shooting their arrows through all the doors, so that I do not
feel that there would be any difficulty in taking it or the one in Bermuda,
particularly if my advice be taken in both matters as that of a man who has been here
two years and has considered the case with care. I am awaiting His Majesty's decision and am desirous of being
of some service and I do not make much of my imprisonment nor of the hardships which
I have suffered in it, with hunger, want and illness, because one who does a labor of
love holds lightly all his afflictions. The ensign Marco Antonio Perez died fifteen
months ago, more from hunger than illness, but assuredly with the patience of a saint
and the spirit of a good soldier. I have not fared very ill, but tolerably so,
because since I arrived I have been in favor with these people and they have shown me
friendship as far as their own wretchedness would allow, but with genuine good-will.
The sailor [Francis Lembry] who came with me is said to be English and a pilot. He
declares that he is from Aragon and in truth no one would take him for a
foreigner.

This country is located in thirty-seven and a third degrees, in which is also the bay
which they call Santa Maria [Chesapeake]. Five rivers empty into this, very wide and
of great depth—this one at its entrance nine fathoms and five and six within. The
others measure seven, eight and twelve; the bay is eight leagues at its mouth but in
places it is very wide, even thirty leagues. There is much oak timber and facilities
for making ships, trees for them according to their wish—very dark walnut which they
esteem highly and many other kinds of trees.

The bearer is a very honorable Venetian gentleman, who having fallen into some great
and serious errors is now returned to his first religion and he says that God has
made me his instrument in this, for which I give thanks. He wishes to go to Spain to
do penance for his sins. If I get my liberty I think of helping him in everything as
far as I shall be able. I beseech Your Lordship to do me the favor of making him some
present, for I hold it certain that it will be a kindness very acceptable to our Lord
to see in Your Lordship indications that charity has not died out in Spain. And so
Your Lordship ought to have charity and practise it in the case of a man who goes from here poor and sick and cannot
make use of his abilities, and if I have to stay here long I am no less in need of
Your Lordship's help (as you will learn from the report of this man, who will tell
you how I am faring). Your Lordship might aid me by sending some shipstores such as
are brought here for certain private individuals and in particular cloth and linen
for clothing ourselves (this man and me) because we go naked or so ragged that it
amounts to the same, without changing our shirts in a month, because, as the soldier
says, my shirts are an odd number and do not come to three. I trust in God who will
surely help me since He is beginning to give me my health which for eleven months has
failed me. I have not sufficient opportunity to write to His Majesty. Your Lordship
will be able to do this giving him notice of everything I am telling. May God guard
Your Lordship as I desire. From Virginia, May 28 (according to Spanish reckoning),
1613.

If Your Lordship had the key to my cipher, I should write in it. But this letter is
sewed between the soles of a shoe, so that I trust in God that I shall not have done
wrong in writing in this way. When I first came here I wrote His Majesty a letter
which had need of some interpretation and directed it with others to Your Lordship. I
do not know whether you have received them.

I thought to be able to make a description of this country but the publicity of my
position does not give me opportunity for it, but that which is most to the point is
that the bay runs northeast by east and at four leagues distance from its mouth is
this river from the south, nine fathoms in depth. At the entrance is a fort
[Algernon] or, to speak more exactly, a weak structure of boards ten hands high with
twenty-five soldiers and four iron pieces. Half a league off is another [Fort Charles
in Elizabeth City] smaller with fifteen soldiers, without artillery. There is another [Fort Henry] smaller
than either half a league inland from here for a defence against the Indians. This
has fifteen more soldiers. Twenty leagues off is this colony [Jamestown] with one
hundred and fifty persons and six pieces; another twenty leagues further up is
another colony [Henrico] strongly located—to which they will all betake themselves if
occasion arises, because on this they place their hopes—where are one hundred more
persons and among them as here there are women, children and field laborers, which
leaves not quite two hundred active men and those poorly disciplined.